


Where We Are Meant To Be

by Anniebee420



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27923716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anniebee420/pseuds/Anniebee420
Summary: Life brings people together for different reasons. Some relationships last, some don't and some are meant to last a life time. Working as a Private Investigator had shown this time and time again. Working with the police instead of against also gave her a peak into some of the worst of human nature especially when she began working with the Manhattan SVU unit. Here she found friends, a sense of family and love? Unfortunately like most things life threw her a curve ball. She hadn't meant to fall in love with him, he had become one of her closest friends but she had. When she goes to tell him he walked away from her leaving her alone. Two years later after a tragedy leaves Emily Bishop in need of returning home, a place she had left so long before. She needed a restart on life she just wasn't prepared for what lay nestled in her small town in upstate New York. One Rafael Barba, the man who had broken her heart. But were things as they seemed and what would happen when these two become trapped on a mountainside with a sadistic killer. Set in the back ground of the Adirondack Mountains and two years after the events of The Undiscovered Country.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A/N So I've been busy rewatching SVU episodes and rediscovering my love of everyone's favorite ADA. I figured I would set this in an area I was very familiar with and see where it would lead me. It sometimes takes me a while to update but please be patient and they will come. Thanks for reading and please leave a review to let me know what you think. Its been a while since I have been this excited for a story.

****Where We Are Meant To Be** **

****

****Prologue** ** ****

It had been two years, two years since Emily Bishop had seen those piercing green eyes that seemed to flare just slightly when he was in the heat of the moment. Two years since that fateful day when he had been found not guilty but she knew he still held the guilt. Two years since those words escaped her lips right before he walked away. He had walked away from everything he had built but mostly he had walked away from her.

In hind sight she knew she never should have told him, maybe he would have stayed. She should have kept that little secret to herself. They were friends after all. Really good friends but their respective jobs keeping them from being anything else. But in that moment when she had found out that he was planning on leaving his job and “moving on” as he had put it her little secret had bubbled to the surface. True she hadn’t actually asked him to stay, ask him to be with her but she had told them those fatal words. Those words that were usually whispered to lovers in the darkness of the night. She had told him to find someone that made him happy, that she would always be there for him and that he would always have someone who would love him all while holding him a tight hug whispering it into his ear.

Looking back she could see how one would think that it was all because he was a friend and nothing more but it was so much more than that, for her anyway. She hadn’t been able to look at him after she had kissed his cheek tears streaming down her face. She knew he was watching her but the only move he made was a lingering kiss on her forehead before he said “Good bye carino.” Before he had pulled away. When she had finally looked up, when the heat from his body was gone leaving her cold, he was gone.

She had hoped that he would come back to her, that he would maybe change his mind. She really didn’t blame him for wanting to move on but a small part of her had hoped that maybe just maybe he would come back for her but he hadn’t. In fact it was like he had dropped off the face of the planet. No call no contact. Sure she should have tried but she hadn’t. Why? She wasn’t entirely sure. She was scared, scared because he obviously hadn’t felt the same or so she had assumed.

It had been about eight months after he had left when Olivia had approached her. She did a lot of free lance work for various law enforcement. Her skills ranging from finding those lost to tracing down those hard to find criminals. Such as the life as a private investigator. What put her apart from most in her chosen field was how she choose to work with the police instead of against. Olivia Benson was one who called her often to confer. Emily had a soft spot for those in desperate need for justice but especially kids so when Liv’s hands were tired she would call Emily in to dig a little deeper, push a little harder. Her results were always stellar and the two had formed a tight bond. It was through their work with each other where she had meant him, ADA Rafael Barba.

He was over confidence, sassy, sarcastic and in the beginning a royal pain in her ass. In the beginning they had taken an instant dislike to each other. In the beginning they hadn't trusted each other. But that had changed, when was hard to pin point but once it had they had become nearly inseparable. Olivia was the first to notice it and she was the first one to approach Emily when he had left. She had assured her that she was fine but both knew that she wasn’t. Emily was after all very good at pretending.

Eight months after he had left Liv and Emily had gone meet at Emily’s house for a girls night. She taking a bit of a break running the SVU unit and being a mom. Emily was taking a break from life in general. The last few cases had been rough at best.

“.…So I heard from a mutual friend of ours the other day.” Olivia stated as the short long haired red head sat next to her friend on the worn yet comfortable couch that sat in her modest apartment.

“Yeah, Who might that be?” She asked as she refilled the wine glasses. Olivia just looked at here for a moment.

“Rafael.” She answered. Olivia was the only other person who knew her true feelings for him and had sympathized with her. Both of them in fact who had been blinded by the fact the the other felt exactly the same way. It was a shame in her opinion but as both of their friends she could only do so much. Emily didn’t answer and just looked down into her glass.

“Oh yeah?” She asked quietly. “How is he?” She felt Olivia watch her and when she didn’t answer she looked up and saw her friends look of concern.

“He’s okay. He asked about you. Wanted to know if you were okay. Have you really not talked since he left?” Emily shrugged.

“He didn’t seem to wanted too.”

“Emily…”

“Look, I told him how I felt, that if he ever needed me I would be there and he just walked away. Its pretty clear how he feels.”

“I’m not excusing how he left but I do believe that he cares for you more than you know. He seemed pretty concerned. I think he really does need you.”

“Then why hasn’t he called me? He calls you, hell even Carisi gets a call. I just get silence.” She felt tears start to fill her eyes and she brushed them away. She felt Olivia’s hand on her arm as she took a deep breath.

“Look, he is a difficult stubborn man. He may seem to be void of most emotions except when it come to you. I truly think he does has feelings for you he just isn't great about expressing them.” She rubbed Emily’s arm in comfort. “For the record, I did tell him to talk to you, to give you a call. But maybe you could do the same, you know reach out.” Emily smiled slightly thinking it over.

“Yeah maybe I will.” And she did intend to do just that but she could never bring herself to do it. What if he rejected her? She wasn’t sure she could handle that. Many many times she had started to write a text only to delete it. She had started to call him only to put the phone down. She knew this made her a coward. She just couldn’t make herself do it and at this point she had convinced herself that he had indeed moved on. She did tell him she wanted him to find someone who had made him happy. Olivia never really brought him up again due to how upset and closed off she would become.

Life moved on as it does, months passed and one year turned to two years. Things happen and people change. She changed, her whole world in fact changed in an instant. That’s why she now found herself far from the city standing in her home down hoping for her own “restart” on life and that was where she saw him for the first time in those two years.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where this is leading I have no idea but I'm excited. let me know what you think. :)

****Chapter One** **

****

She had just ended her near six hour journey from the busy and loud streets of New York City to the small sleepy town of Wilton, New York nestled within the Adirondack Mountains about twenty miles away from Lake Placid. It was home, a home she hadn’t seen in nearly ten years. Oddly enough not much had changed. The streets still held the same stores as they did in her youth due to the fact that they were mostly family owned. Not many ever really left Wilton, not unless they had to. She had for school and once her aunt had passed on she couldn’t really bring herself there. Her Aunt Kathrine had been her whole life and when she was no longer with her coming back just seemed sad. Sure she had friends there, people she had known her whole childhood but it just wasn’t the same. In fact she had just come from her best friend’s Maddie’s place. She owned the local baker slash coffee shop ironically named Maddie’s. Maddie had been the one to encourage her to return home even if it was for a little while. She after all needed time to recover not only in mind and soul but also physically.

Her last case in the city had ended with her sustaining some pretty substantial injuries and it was taking her longer than she wanted to recover. Sure the bruises had faded some, the ones that could be seen that is. Some were more prominent than others and some were more visible than some. She glanced down at her left leg as she once again struggled to get out of her car again. It was unable to bend due to the obnoxious brace that held it together. It was something she had to live with, for a while at least and would for a while to come.

She made her way slowly and rather painfully around her car to the other side to retrieve what she had brought. Gifts for another set of friends that she was set on seeing. She may be home to recover but she was also there for another reason and she needed help to achieve it.

She entered the doors of the Wilton’s small police department with a push of her uninjured hip and approached the front desk. Behind it sat a middle aged woman who looked like she hadn’t aged since the last time she had seen her. She was busy on the phone and without looking up held a finger up indicating for her to wait a moment. Emily couldn’t help but smile slightly and stood resting the container of coffees she had brought on the desk. Finally she looked up as she hung up the phone.

“How can I help….” Her eyes lite up when she recognized who stood in front of her. “Emily Bishop! I heard that you were back.”

“Hey Rosie.” She said with a smile as the woman stood up and made her way around the desk to grab the younger woman in a warm hug. She pulled back to look at her. The smile she held suddenly turned to concern.

“What in the world happened to you girl?” She asked taking in her rough appearance.

“Oh its a long story.”

“Are you okay?” She asked her concern growing.

“Yeah, I’m okay Rosie. Hey I brought you something.” She said as she turned and removed one of the coffee cups she had wedged in the cardboard container and handed it to her.

“Oh my dear you didn’t have too but thank you.” She said as she took it. One of the reason Emily had brought them was to help in changing the subject when she didn’t want to make a big deal about her injuries. She knew she looked rough but didn’t really want to talk much about it. “Do you want to sit for a minute…”

“No no I’m fine really. I was actually looking for the chief. Is he in?”

“Yeah, but he’s in a meeting with the Mayor and a lawyer from Lake Placid.” Rosie answered.

“Wow, sounds serious. Everything okay?” The Mayor meeting with the chief of police wasn’t above the realm of norm but with a lawyer it was.

“So some developer wants to come in and buy up the town. Something to do with prime real estate and they want to plant a resort here. The town council, Mayor and the Chief have gotten together to see if they can stop it.”

“Wow, sounds intense.” Emily added with a raised eyebrow. Somethings really had changed.

“Tell me about it but you know how people here are. They don’t want anything to change.” Rosie said.

“And they needed a lawyer?” She asked her curiosity defiantly peeking.

“Yeah, he’s some big city lawyer from Lake Placid. The council hired him. He’s supposed to be very good.”

“Well that’s something, hey do you mind if I wait. Its kinda importance that I speak with him.” Emily asked as a way to detour from a forth coming long winded conversation. She loved Rosie she really did and this did seem to happen Emily a lot. People saw her coming and just wanted to talk.

“Oh sure thing. Just go right on in I think Jamie and Ryan are in there. The chief shouldn’t be much longer.” Rosie answered as she shooed her into the next room which held the desks for the other officers and beyond that the Chief’s office. She gave Rosie one last wave and took her coffee’s into the room beyond. In front of her lay three desks one occupied and at the other two sat two very familiar but friendly people. Officer Ryan Teller who was her friend Maddie’s husband and Officer Jamie Doyle. All had friends growing up and it seems as if they still were as she caught them throwing paper balls back and forth. One more thing about small towns, the crime rate was rather low which sometimes made for board officers. She watched for a few seconds as neither noticed her until she cleared her throat.

“So is crime so low that this is what we have reduced ourselves to?” She asked smiling when both stopped what they were doing mid through looking up at her with twin looks of guilt in their faces. It reminded her of a look kids would give a parent when caught doing something they weren’t supposed too. When they realized who it was they both stood up in a hurry. She almost laughed at how they seemed to come to attention and then both approached her arms wrapping around her in a double hug.

“Emily!” They practicality knocked her over.

“Okay boys, good to see you too.” She said while still trying to hold the coffee and still give a one armed hug. These two guys had been like brothers to her and it felt nice to feel that again. The pulled away both with big smiles on their faces. She held up the container of coffees. While each gave her a look like a kid at Christmas. They each took one and then took her in and she knew it was coming.

“Whoa…what happened to you?” Jamie asked his eyes landing on her leg brace.

“Mad said that something happened to you down in the city but this is serious.” Ryan said to her as he lead her to sit in a chair next to his desk. She gratefully took it that time. She leg was starting ache from all the standing as well as the driving she had done before.

“Yeah its a long story.” She added.

“Did you drive all the way here?” Jamie asked. “In that condition?”

“I’m injured, not dying. Besides its not my driving foot. I just took a lot of breaks which is why it took me close to seven hours to get here rather than the usual four and a half.” Emily answered. One thing she had a hard time with was others worrying about her and losing her independence.

“Is that safe there Red?” Jamie asked using her old childhood nick name.

“Geez Officer Doyle are you integrating her? I mean she did just come from the mean streets of New York.” Ryan added. He always had a way of looking out for her more so than anyone.

“Really boys, I’m fine. I just was making my rounds before I head out to my aunts old place. I need to see the Chief too.” She answered. She was thinking about making a day of it when the Chief’s door came open. The first person that came out was Major Richard Dixon. She had graduated with him and even back then she knew this was what he would be doing.

“Chief Daniels thank you for meeting with us and I’m hoping with your help we can solve this rather quickly.”

“Anytime Mr. Major.” Eric Daniels was a tall man in his early sixties. With graying hair and a slight build is was the vision of a kindly father. The closest thing she actually had to a father. He had been a close friend to her aunts. Growing up he had been around often and he was one of the reason’s why she did what she did. He was also the only one in town to know what had actually happened to cause her injuries. The two men shook hands and turned there attention to the girl in front of them that was currently struggling to stand. Ryan reached out to steady her. Dixon, true to form didn’t ex knowledge this just leered at her as he saw and recognized her.

“Emily Bishop. It’s been a long time.” She never really cared for him, he always seemed too forward but she would just brush it off.

“Hello Rick, its been a while.”

“Yeah too, long.” He added as a smile slide to his face. It reminded her of a used car salesman. “I would stay and catch up but I have another meeting,” He leaned down to whisper in her ear as he touched her shoulder. She tried not to shutter. “Well catch up later.” He stood up straight. “Gentlemen,” He gestured as he strutted out of the station.

“Well, I see somethings haven’t changed.” Emily stated to break the tension in the air. The Chief just shook his head and let out a little chuckle as he approached her.”

“Hey kiddo. I’m glad you made it.” He swept her up into a big hug. People here in Wilton loved to hug. It was practicality their town motto. But unlike most this was a warm hug, a safe hug a fatherly hug.

“I’m okay Eric, really. I’m okay.” She whispered in his ear as he held her tight.

“Ah Kid you had me worried.” He whispered back.

“I know, I’m sorry.” She opened her eyes and pulled back but something behind her made her pause and her eyes to go wide. The Chief caught on to this and turned around.

“Oh Emily, I’d like to introduce to you the man who is going to help save our town. Emily is like a daughter to me and has come all the way from the city. Emily this is…”

“Rafael?” She said his name so quietly. He had stood back the whole time taking in what he saw before him. Unsure himself what to say or do. It had been two years and he had kicked himself every day for leaving her out in the cold. Now maybe just maybe life had thrown him a chance to make it right. He gave her a bit of his trade mark half smile with a slight look of uncertainty. He walked toward her hands in his pocket until he was right in front of her then reached out taking one of her hands gently in his. It was warm against her cooler one. He looked at her then, really looked at her. He traced her face with his eyes taking her in and trying to decipher what she may be thinking or feeling. He traced the top of her hand with his thumb feeling a slight shiver run through her body. He saw the fading bruising on her face and the one that littered her neck before the disappeared under the collar of her coat that she was still wearing. He had heard from Liv recently that she had been hurt he just wasn’t prepared what he saw and that included seeing her. He knew that she was from the area just not this particular area.

“Hello Emily.” He added just as softly as he tighten the hold on her hand just slightly not wanting to let her go. Not this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....And so it begins....

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter One is coming very very soon.


End file.
